Just A Glance
by Bel-Halliwell
Summary: It all began with a glance. They didn't know how things would turn up, but there was no stopping it. Pitch Perfect, bechloe style.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

It all started with a glance.

To be completely honest, Beca wasn't interested in joining a club, or group, or any kind of college activity unless it was a DJ gig at the campus radio. Yet it was nicer walking around outside, getting to people watch and absorb the feeling of the grounds that would be her new home for the next six months, rather than hang out in her dorm with her new roommate in awkward silence.

A flash of red caught her eye.

Beca glanced to the movement, and saw a woman tossing her hair over her shoulder. She was a beautiful redhead, standing with a blonde and handing out fliers, and had gorgeous eyes and lips that –

Beca shook her head, momentarily puzzled by herself. What was she thinking? Her attention was caught by a _gorgeous_ girl? She was straight, and definitely not looking for a college romance. She determined that she had not had enough sleep the night before, and mentally brushed the thought away. However, her curiosity was peaked, so she slowly made her way over to the two women to see what they were promoting.

An acapella group. Not something that she had considered, and most likely would be something that would take time away from mixing her sounds. And although, personally, she thought she was a decent signer, she wasn't overly interested in making her singing public. That was strictly limited to the shower, solo car rides, and the occasional spur of the moment bursts when she was home alone.

"You should really join," the redhead said with a smile as she pressed a flyer into Beca's hand. "What was your name?"

Beca's eyes flicked over the flyer, yet soon strayed back to the bright eyed woman explaining about making music with their mouths. A quick glance over to the blonde next to her, however, told her that she was _not_ welcome in the group. That was fine by her.

"Beca. Um, thanks, but I don't sing," Beca replied, unable to stop the extremely brief apologetic smile that formed on her lips to the redhead. She turned quickly, and continued to make her way through the activity fair, mentally picturing the look of satisfaction that would be on the blonde's face right now. Chancing a quick glance back, she saw the blonde had already moved on and was talking to a large blonde girl. The redhead, however, was shooting Beca a glance at the same time. Beca held her gaze for only a second, barely registering the light fluttering that suddenly started in her belly, before shaking her head and refocusing on where she was going.

Chloe felt a pang of disappointment as the brunette turned away from their table. She didn't quite know how to explain it, but she just felt a really strong vibe from the petite woman, despite the tattoos and ear piercings.

She was vaguely aware of another student coming over to their table, and before refocusing, she spared one last fleeting look at the retreating figure. At that moment, the brunette glanced back over her shoulder at Chloe.

Chloe actually felt her breath hitch as they made eye contact for such a brief moment, before the woman turned back and continued on her way.

_Hopefully, I will see her again_, Chloe thought, as she turned to the blonde girl that was introducing herself to Aubrey.

She didn't allow herself to ponder why she was so interested in the thought of seeing the mystery girl again.

* * *

Well.

The first week of college was almost over.

It had been a somewhat successful week, as Beca had managed to score a gig at the college radio station, albeit considerably less glamorous than she had hoped. No air time, and hours spent sorting and stacking CD's. Not quite the kickass DJ role she was hoping for.

_Well, I have to start somewhere, _she reasoned with herself as she left her dorm room, heading towards the bathrooms. She was purposely going later in the evening, in the hopes of taking a peaceful shower without the chatter and bustle of twenty college girls all trying to shower and dress and fight for prime space in front of the two mirrors.

Hanging her towel on the hook outside her stall, Beca turned the knobs and allowed the heat and pressure of the water to cascade on her back. Steam fogged up around her, and she subconsciously lowered her guard, to simply enjoy a moment of peace.

As she started to lather up her bar of soap, her mind ran to the latest mix she was working on.

"I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose. Fire away, fire away…" she sang to herself, closing her eyes as the music took over her mind.

"You can sing!"

Beca gasped as her eyes flew open. The redhead from the acapella group stood before her, one hand clutching the side of the shower curtain and a wide grin on her face.

"Oh my god!" Beca tried desperately to cover her modesty, and the thought of getting up extra early to shower would have been a better idea shot through her mind. She tried desperately to look anywhere but at the naked, wet, beautiful woman before her.

Her brain then asked why she thought of the naked, wet woman as beautiful.

"You have to join the Bella's," the redhead stated as she reached forward to turn the water off.

"I can't concentrate on anything until you cover your junk," Beca begged, knowing that her face was most likely turning an unflattering shade of red. Her eyes flickered down at the woman's body, glimpsing a toned stomach and perfectly rounded breasts, before looking up to the ceiling and swallowing heavily.

It doesn't help when the redhead is telling her that Titanium is her lady jam, and it's all Beca can do to not let her mind create images.

"Seriously, get out," she tried again.

"Not until you sing for me," replied the redhead. She took a step closer to Beca, who instantly felt her heart rate increase.

Pausing for a moment, she looked into the woman's eyes to see encouragement, support and warmth. Drawing a slow, shaky breath, she softly began to sing the first few words of Titanium.

The redhead joined in, providing a higher pitch that blended perfectly with Beca's lower tone. The sounds of the song rose and fell, as their voices created a harmony that was beyond sweet to the ears. The music bounced off the shower tiles and wrapped around them, and Beca suddenly began to reconsider the thought of being in an acapella group. She kept her eyes trained on the redhead, noting how blue her eyes were.

As the final word echoed through the showers, the redhead beamed at Beca. "You have to try out for the Bella's. I won't take no for an answer."

"Okay, fine, whatever. I'll try out," Beca replied hastily, as the distraction of the music passed and she became well aware that they were both still very naked.

The redhead flashed another grin, and turned to leave. "Oh, and the name's Chloe," she called out over her shoulder as she exited the stall, the shower curtain flapping back to hang limply down.

Beca leaned back against the cool tiles of the shower wall, trying to process what had just happened. It appeared she had somehow agreed to audition for an acapella group. And despite the fact that she didn't have to show up, she could just bypass the audition and hit up a music store or do some more CD organising or even, god forbid, hang out at her dorm room with her roommate, she realised that she kinda wanted to see Chloe again.

Chloe. She didn't know why, but something about her intrigued Beca.

* * *

So it's started fairly similar to the movie to start with, but as it goes on, it will start to differentiate from the film, and get its own story going. Let me know if it's worth continuing!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

As student after student attempted to match the notes to one of Kelly Clarkson's better songs, Chloe slumped further and further into her seat.

The mystery shower girl, Beca, didn't show up.

"What do you think of her?" Aubrey whispered with a nudge, leaning forward in her seat to get a closer view of the final singer on stage.

"She was cool, I liked her," replied Chloe. The girl was good, as were several others that had auditioned which Aubrey had scrawled their names onto her list. None of them had the same impact as the mystery girl though. No one's voice came close to matching the dulcet melody that was the girl's voice.

Just as the stage manager was announcing the end of the audition, Chloe caught a glimpse of brown hair at the side of the stage, hovering around the curtain. It was the woman from the showers.

"Wait! There's one more!" she called out, motioning the woman over to the centre of the stage with a bright smile.

"I'm Beca. Sorry, I didn't know I had to prepare a song," the brunette said nervously as she moved to the front of the stage. She tried to ignore the jeers that were coming from the large group of males at the back.

"That's okay, just show us whatever you've got," replied Chloe. She watched as Beca leaned forward, removed the pens from Aubrey's cup of spare writing instruments and placed them down gently. Holding the cup with both hands, Beca hesitated slightly before sitting down, cross-legged, and placing the cup reverently in front of her.

Chloe watched, in awe, as Beca created a rhythm with the cup, and began to sing. Her voice seemed even more captivating in the theatre than it did in the echoing bathroom. She leaned forward in her seat slightly, not wanting to miss a moment.

"Right. Thanks," announced Aubrey, when Beca finished her song and rose to her feet, awkwardly toying with the cup. "We'll let you know."

Beca lightly tossed the cup back to Aubrey, and shot Chloe a small smile as she exited the stage. Chloe followed her departure with her eyes, before turning to Aubrey excitedly.

"She was great, wasn't she? The best we've heard all day, for sure," she chattered, as the blonde gathered her pens back into the cup.

"She was okay, I guess. But if she's going to be a Bella, we'll have to do something about her look. It's so not who we are, especially those horrible ear piercings. Seriously."

Chloe closed her mouth, and kept her thoughts to herself as she duly followed her friend out of the theatre.

* * *

The following morning, Beca found herself awake at 7am. While this might be considered a normal time for most; it wasn't an hour that was often experienced by Beca; she was a night owl and preferred a long sleep in over rising early. However, today didn't seem to be her day for relaxation, as Kimmy Jin was having a loud, undecipherable conversation on her cell phone. Perhaps a quick walk to get coffee would be the smarter alternative to staying in bed.

Five minutes later, Beca was making her way across campus, away from her dorm and towards the coffee cart located near the fitness centre. She had heard, through word of mouth, that it offered the best coffee on campus, and was always open for the early risers wanting to squeeze in a quick workout before breakfast. Fortunately for her, there was no queue, so she placed her order and drummed her fingers absently on the bench as she waited, new mix ideas running through her head.

"Beca! Good morning!" said a bright, cheery voice, as a hand was placed on Beca's shoulder. Surprised that there was someone who knew her out and about this early, she turned to be greeted by a smiling Chloe.

"Hey there," replied Beca, eyeing the redhead's workout clothes and small gym bag draped over her shoulder. "You're up early."

"Well, I could say the same about you," Chloe responded. She leaned over Beca's shoulder and placed her coffee order, slipping a few bills on the counter and then turning back to the brunette.

"My dorm mate isn't exactly conducive to having a sleep in, apparently. I'm presuming you were working out?"

"I've come to learn that an early morning workout every now and then is much more preferable to listening to Aubrey stressing the importance of having a high stamina level." Chloe chuckled at the face Beca made, and then reached forward to collect the two coffees that the barista was handing out. She passed one to Beca. "Are you busy right now or want to hang out for a bit?"

Beca wasn't used to people being so friendly and forward to her. However, Chloe gave off the impression of self confidence and cheerfulness, and made those around her want to draw a little closer. "Sure," she replied, accepting the coffee.

"Oh, cute tattoo!" Chloe exclaimed, catching a glimpse of the grasshopper on Beca's forearm. Beca blushed.

"It's not cute," she countered, as the two women began to walk away from the cart in no particular direction.

"Right. Not cute. Why did you choose it? That is, if you don't mind me asking. I know that tattoos can be personal things," said Chloe, glancing to the woman next to her.

"It's for my father. He used to call me his little grasshopper, when I was young. That was before my parents went through a really messy divorce and everything changed. It's to remind me of simpler times," Beca explained, before faltering. "Wow, I've never actually told anyone that story before. You better not tell anyone, or I'll have to cause some serious harm to you."

Chloe chuckled, and slung her free arm casually over Beca's shoulder. The brunette stiffened at first, not being used to being touched by others, but slowly loosened up and managed a small smile.

"Don't worry, you're secret's safe with me. In fact, I'll even the playing field. I have this," she said as she tilted her wrist slightly so that Beca could see the tiny ladybug tattooed there, "which I got last year. It's for my aunt, who passed away from cancer. She and I were pretty close, she was the one who really got me into singing. She had an amazing garden that always had ladybugs in it, and they really remind me of her. She was pretty special to me."

"I'm sorry to hear that she passed away," Beca said in a softer tone, meeting the redhead's gaze.

"It's okay," Chloe replied, and paused. "I like that we both have bug tattoos though."

Beca smiled. "Me too."

The two women continued to walk around campus, chatting about how they each got into music. Beca was somewhat surprised at how easily she and Chloe were finding it to hang out and talk and not feel awkward or anything. Beca didn't have many friends, and none that she was particularly close with either, so the chance of making a new friend was definitely a positive development in her college life. The only thing that she was finding difficult, was how much Chloe managed to touch her during their walk. There was the arm over the shoulder for a bit, and there were some nudges, some brushes on the arm. Beca had grown up with very little physical contact from her parents, and when they split up, she built even higher walls around herself. And now, it resulted in not being a touchy-feely kind of girl.

She thought she was doing a somewhat decent job of hiding her awkwardness of the touching, until Chloe stopped them short.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" she asked, staring intently into Beca's eyes. "It's okay if you'd rather not though."

Rather than verbally respond, Beca nodded her head slightly in consent.

"Does it bother you when I touch you?" Chloe asked bluntly, and Beca faltered slightly.

"No..." she drifted off, not wanting to hurt the redhead's feelings, and then crumbled under Chloe's gaze. "Okay, it's not that I don't like it, it's more that I'm not used to it. I didn't grow up in a place where I was given much physical contact. But I've known you for barely a few days, and I've already gotten the impression that you're a touchy-feely kind of person. And that's okay. And I like it when you're casual and just being yourself, so it's okay. I'll get used to it."

Chloe smiled at the honesty of the brunette. "I'm glad you told me, thanks. And if it ever bugs you, just let me know, I won't be offended. I guess I grew up the complete opposite, but even Aubrey thinks I can be a little overbearing sometimes. I don't want to scare you off and ruin the chance of us becoming really good friends, okay?"

Beca responded with a smile, which in turn made the redhead beam back.

"Shoot, it's already eight, I need to get going. I'm supposed to meet Aubrey soon to get things ready for this evening. Um, I can't exactly tell you, because it'd be breaking the Bella rules…but make sure you wear something nice to bed tonight, okay?" Chloe gave her a wink, and reached forward to give Beca a hug.

Beca barely had time to bring her arms up to awkwardly pat Chloe on the back, before Chloe pulled away, flashed another grin, and called out a goodbye over her shoulder as she headed away.

Beca stood still for a few moments, processing the events of the morning. While she felt a bit like she and Chloe were opposites in a few big ways, they also had a great connection. With any luck, and Beca shook her head slightly at the idea of even thinking it, they actually would become good friends.

* * *

**TBC…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

At the stroke of eleven pm, there was a sharp rap on the door. Beca, who was at her laptop working on a new mix, glanced over at Kimmy Jin, reading on her bed. The woman didn't even glance up.

"Don't worry, Kimmy Jin, I'll get the door!" Beca muttered, mostly to herself, rolling her eyes. She pulled the door open, to see a grinning Chloe waiting.

"Beca! C'mon, it's initiation night!" she said brightly. "Oops, I wasn't meant to tell you that," she added, biting her lip. "Don't tell Aubrey, okay?"

Beca gave her a furtive smile. "Don't worry, it'll be our little secret," she said. "So, what's this initiation business all about?"

"Throw some shoes on," Chloe instructed. Leaning in, she whispered, "I'll tell you on the way, okay?"

* * *

Beca was officially a Bella.

To be honest, she was weirded out by the initiation at first, because it was the first initiation she'd ever experienced – okay, it was the first _group_ she had been part of. She wouldn't have been surprised if it really were blood in the chalice, considering how seriously Aubrey seemed to take things. Fortunately Chloe was there to reassure her.

Initiation moved from the rehearsal hall to outside, where there was a full blown a cappella party happening. Trebles were mixing with the High Notes and the BU Harmonics, and the Bella's started giggling and spreading out as they chatted to other students and drank spiked punch from red cups.

Chloe was getting into the spirit, as she loved this party every year. It was her chance to get to know the girls that she would be spending a lot of time with over the next year, in a more relaxed setting. She helped herself to a drink, and watched Aubrey glance around before taking a seat next to Fat Amy.

Finishing her drink, Chloe surveyed the scene before spying Beca chatting to one of the Trebles. What was it about Beca that made Chloe want to draw closer? She wasn't sure, but then again, she had always been a light drinker, and the small amount of alcohol in her system was already allowing her to listen to her inner chatter.

She made her way towards Beca, grinning when she saw the Treble move away. Taking his place, she leaned close to Beca and took hold of her wrists. She noticed fleetingly that her thumbs were pressing right on Beca's pulse points, and swore that she felt the brunette's heart rate speed up slightly. Or was she just _hoping_ that's what she felt?

"I'm really glad I met you," Chloe said to Beca, bringing her face close. She gave Beca a wide smile, hoping that she was conveying sincerity. "I think we're going to be fast friends."

"Well, you did see me naked," replied Beca with a wink. She had watched Chloe have a drink out of the corner of her eye, and was amused with how much looser Chloe seemed – not that she thought it was possible, considering how confident and self-assured Chloe appeared normally.

"You should be a lot more confident naked. You're kind of gorgeous, you know?" Chloe said to her.

Beca opened and closed her mouth wordlessly, and simply settled for shaking her head.

"Come with me to get a drink?" Chloe asked hopefully. She gave Beca's wrists another squeeze, and this time was certain that Beca's heart rate jumped slightly.

"Uh, I'd love to, but Jesse's gone to get me one already," Beca replied, appearing truly disappointed.

Chloe's face dropped for the slightest moment, before she recovered with a wide smile, and ran her hands up Beca's arms. "Alright. Well, I'm going to get a drink. This ginger needs her jiggle juice!"

Beca watched, amused, as Chloe shook her ass jokingly before heading off.

* * *

Chloe collapsed onto her bed with a tired sigh.

She was _exhausted._

It had been a huge week for her, she had been rehearsing non stop with the Bella's in order to prepare for the fall mixer the following day. Some of them _really_ needed help, like how Stacie tried to grope herself with every dance move, Denise almost broke her ankle while trying to walk in heels, and Lilly still couldn't be heard above a whisper.

And then there was Beca, who appeared to be struggling with the dance moves. Although, _honestly_, Chloe thought that Beca knew exactly what she was doing, and was more pretending to pull Aubrey's leg – and it worked every time.

On the plus side, Chloe got to put her arms around Beca, and lean into her from behind, and that felt…_nice._ She didn't allow herself to question why she thought that, or why a tiny part of her hoped the opportunity might arise again. _I'm too busy to be thinking about anything but helping the Bella's get ready_, she told herself.

And this was true. She and Aubrey had devoted pretty much every spare second into teaching the girls the song, dance moves, and then giving a few of them one-on-one instruction.

Honestly? Chloe didn't think it was enough. She'd tried to stay positive, and convince Aubrey that it was going to be 'aca-awesome!' but truth be told, she knew deep down that the Barden Bella's were not yet polished enough for a public performance. She'd get nowhere with trying to explain that to Aubrey, however, so she simply hoped for the best, and lay down on her bed to get started on some reading for one of her classes.

**Ring Ring**

Chloe's eyes snapped open, and was shocked to see sunlight streaming through the dorm window. Her room mate was nowhere to be seen. Glancing at the clock, she was slightly shocked to see that it was 9am – she must have fallen asleep while reading.

Grabbing her cell phone, Chloe attempted to clear her throat, and answered the call. It was her doctor's office.

"Yes…yes….no. So what does that mean?...when do you recommend?...okay, thanks. Goodbye."

Slowly putting her phone down on the bed, Chloe stared into nothingness, shock written across her face.

Her doctor, after analysing the results of a few tests she did last week after her throat had been hurting for a while, just called to tell her she had vocal nodules.

She had nodes.

Every singer's worst nightmare.

If she got them removed, it could risk her chances of being able to sing, or impact on her range – a range that she was quite proud of, and felt she enhanced the quality of the Bella's. However, if she chose not to operate, she risked it getting worse, and destroying her voice all together.

What a choice she had to make.

_It's not like it's going to change in the next 24 hours, so I'll worry about it tomorrow,_Chloe reasoned to herself, as she glanced at the time. Right now, she needed to get her ass in the shower, as she needed to get ready for the fall mixer the Bella's were singing for that afternoon.

* * *

Beca felt awkward.

There wasn't really a better way to describe it. She was standing outside of a fraternity, in a pencil skirt and heels, and about to sing to a large group of half tipsy people. Yep, awkward was definitely the right word.

Beca _so_ didn't have a good feeling about this.

And, unfortunately, her bad feeling was right.

They sounded _terrible_.

Even Aubrey agreed, as she led them away after an embarrassing end to their song. She expressed her frustrations to them as a group, and then turned on Chloe.

Chloe's face look troubled. "I have nodes," she announced suddenly, turning to face the group. Aubrey murmured shock and disappointment, and took her hands.

"I found out this morning," Chloe told her softly, and Beca had to strain to hear.

"What are nodes?" she asked. Judging by Aubrey's reaction and Chloe's expression, she could tell it wasn't good, but she still didn't know enough to form her own opinion.

"Vocal nodules," Aubrey replied in a 'duh' voice, distain clearly evident in her voice. "The rubbing together of your vocal chords at above average rates without proper lubrication."

"They sit on your windpipe and crush your dreams," Chloe said softly.

"Isn't that painful?" Beca asked with concern. "Why would you keep performing?"

"Because I love to sing," Chloe replied. She gave Beca a look, who could see the pain expressed in the redhead's eyes.

With that look, Beca understood It clicked. She _got_ the severity of the issue now, especially considering it was Chloe – the girl who thought nothing of barging in on another girl's shower, just to hear her sing. And Chloe appeared to have come to a personal resolve, as she told the group she'd just have to draw back a little.

As the group began to continue on, Beca caught up to Chloe. Fortunately for her, Aubrey was up ahead a little bit – she knew the older blonde wasn't a huge fan of hers, and didn't feel the need to spend extra time with her than necessary.

"Hey," she said softly, and Chloe gave her a smile.

"Hey," she replied.

"So, it sucks about your nodes," Beca told her sincerely. "Singing's not necessarily my thing to live for, but I know it is for you, so I can imagine how much this would be killing you. I mean, if I found out I had to get an operation on my hearing and it could stop me from listening to music ever again, I don't know what I'd do."

"You get it," Chloe said, offering a warm smile. "I know it's my heath, but it's my _music_, you know?"

Beca nodded. She understood.

* * *

**TBC…**


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N - So, I bet everyone thought this was abandoned. I didn't mean to stop updating, it just happened, life got in the way. But I'm here, and determined to finish this thing. So here I go again!_

**Chapter Four**

Time began to go faster, now that Beca was settling into being at Barden.

She had yet to get a chance to play music at the radio station gig, but she found a few opportunities to hang out with the other freshman who was interning there, Jesse. He was pretty funny, although slightly too obsessed with movies for Beca's liking, but she thought he was going to become a pretty good friend. Aside from an awkward moment of him moving in for a kiss while they watched a movie in her room, and she was saved by Kimmy Jin (who knew she'd actually be _grateful_ for her room mate's timing?), she was enjoying hanging out with him.

And the Bella's were improving too. Slowly, but surely, and then came the riff off, where they got to test out their skills.

The riff off rocked.

The Bella's rocked it.

It was just a shame that the Bella's didn't actually win.

Beca couldn't believe it. They lost on a technicality. Like come on, who cared if she sang _it's_ instead of it?

And, of course, it was too much to hope for to have Aubrey at least say they had done well. Instead, she told them all that they needed to write a list of what they had done wrong. Was she _serious_?

The group began to slowly disperse, chattering to each other about the riff off. As Beca turned to go, she caught sight of Chloe speaking hurriedly to Aubrey, then coming towards her.

"Hey!" Chloe said brightly, as she threaded her arm through Beca's. "Where are you headed?"

"Uh, well apparently I need to go and write a list of how we screwed up tonight, so, uh…" Beca replied.

Chloe chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about it. Trust me, Aubrey will forget about it by the next rehearsal, considering we're still working on getting the moves down."

"Thanks for the tip." Beca shot a quick look at Chloe, and then back at the ground.

"So, you're also a Dr. Dre fan, it seems," Chloe commented.

Beca pulled up short, causing Chloe to jerk to a stop. The redhead looked at her, a sparkle in her eye. "Well, he does have a mellow accent, after all," Beca said. "You like Dr. Dre?"

Chloe grinned at the brunette. "You know, I have better musical tastes than you think I do. Just because the Bella's musical set is a little outdated, doesn't mean that my tastes are. In fact, I'm a little hurt that you don't give me more credit." She puffed her bottom lip out in mock hurt, but followed it with a wink.

"Right. Well maybe, you might burn me a CD or something sometime, so I can get to know your tastes better?" Beca raised her eyebrows suggestively.

Chloe grinned at Beca's suggestion. "Only if you do the same for me? That way, if we ended up at another riff off and you start shooting off a rap or something, I won't be so shocked that I forget to help you out until Stacie has to nudge me."

A laugh bubbled out of Beca's mouth, causing Chloe to grin. "Alright, you have officially impressed me."

"Good, that was easier than I thought. I would have tried a lot harder for you, Beca," Chloe said, her tone serious but the smile on her face keeping the mood light.

Unsure of how to respond, Beca simply shot Chloe a smile, and continued to walk with her to their dorm building.

Chloe kept true to her promise, and provided Beca with a CD of her top thirty favourite songs – "although you'll have to keep in mind, my favourite songs are ever changing, so the list will probably be completely different next week," she added with a wink.

* * *

Beca listened to it the following night after a particularly arduous Bella's rehearsal, and had to admit that she was impressed with Chloe's song selection. There was a decent mixture of genres, mostly new songs, with a couple older ones and one or two Disney songs thrown into the mix (_gotta remember to judge her for that later,_ Beca thought with a smirk).

And, she was even surprised to find, some of the songs on Chloe's CD, if not most of them, would most likely be also found on her own favourite playlist. Chloe had good taste.

Rather than simply making up a CD of her own favourite songs, Beca decided to make her playlist into a long mashup of all of them combined. Knowing that Chloe was going to be listening to it, she felt motivated to ensure it was as good as it could possibly be, so therefore spent hours labouring over it.

This was much more time consuming than she originally planned, as she did not take into consideration exactly how much time Bella's rehearsals were going to take.

"Come on, everyone, get it together, it needs to be perfect!" Aubrey cried to the group, after two long hours of rehearsal. "One more run through. Places!"

A few sighs were heard throughout the women, but they obeyed Aubrey's command and moved into their positions. At the sound of the pitch pipe and Aubrey's count, they got into it.

The run through went well until Chloe's voice broke at the end.

"Chloe, you need to hit that note at the end, okay?" Aubrey told her.

Chloe sighed. "I can't. It's because of my…nodes." Most of the girls chimed in the final word with her.

"Well then we'll have to find someone else for your solo," Aubrey replied, pressing her lips together.

Chloe seized the opportunity, and suggested Beca to take the solo. However, Aubrey wouldn't hear of it, especially when Beca asked to pick a new song for it.

As the girls left the rehearsal, Chloe pulled Beca aside.

"I'm sorry, Beca. She just won't listen. I don't want to push her too hard, she's under a lot of pressure from her father, and winning Nationals pretty much means everything to her," Chloe explained.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm glad that Amy is so happy about having a solo, she'll do great," Beca replied easily. "I appreciate you trying for me." She purposely didn't comment about Aubrey, knowing that anything coming out of her mouth regarding the blonde wouldn't be nice, and she didn't want to upset Chloe.

Chloe smiled and bumped her shoulder into Beca's. "Oh, so what did you think of my CD?"

Beca hesitated slightly. "Well…aside from the two Disney songs on there-" at this, Chloe gave a mock pout, "-I thought it was pretty awesome. You've got great taste in music."

Chloe beamed. "I knew you'd like it. Great minds think alike, and all that. So, when am I going to get to hear some of your music choices?"

"Soon, I promise. I've been working on a CD for you, it's just not ready yet," Beca told her. Over Chloe's shoulder, she noticed Aubrey glaring at them, her arms crossed. "Uh, looks like Aubrey's in need of some attention. I gotta get going anyway, I have a shift at the station. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. See you tomorrow," Chloe responded. She shot the brunette a wink, and then turned to head over to Aubrey.

"What is going on between you and Beca?" Aubrey demanded, turning her glare on Chloe.

The redhead took a step back. "Um, we're friends? I'm not really sure what you mean, Bree."

"If I didn't know better, I'd swear that you both had huge toner for each other," Aubrey replied, tossing her hair back. "Although I can totally tell that Beca's got it for Jesse. Did you see them at the riff off? They were practically having eye sex."

Chloe felt her stomach drop slightly. Yeah, she had seen Beca and Jesse looking at each other a few times, but she had interpreted it to be in more of a friendly way. Aubrey was just exaggerating. Or was she? Chloe shook her head to try to clear it. What did it matter to her anyway?

"Alright, we have Regionals in a week. Make sure you're practicing your scales, okay?"

Chloe nodded, lost in thought.

* * *

Beca stood at the back of the hall, the other Bella's around her, as she watched the Socapellas perform. Sure, they weren't quite 'traditional', but they were different – something that Beca thought was a definite bonus for them. She wondered if the Bella's were good enough to beat them, with their outdated music.

Chloe stepped forward into the space next to Beca, brushing her arm against the brunette's. "Nervous?" she whispered.

"Uh, not really," Beca replied in an equally soft voice. She glanced over, and saw a confident smile on Chloe's face. She tried to match it, and took a slow breath as they were called onto stage.

Here goes nothing.

* * *

They placed second, and were making it through to the semi-finals! Chloe was thrilled.

She got somewhat nervous halfway through, as she was keeping an eye on the judges while she was singing, and caught a couple of yawns. That was not good. However, Amy started rocking it out on stage, and really got into her solo. _That definitely helped our placing,_ Chloe thought to herself, and began to understand Beca's reasoning for wanting a new set more than ever.

She decided to tell Beca so, however she didn't get a chance. As the Bella's exited the hall into the lobby area, they caught sight of the Treblemakers, having a confrontation with an older group of retired acapella singers.

"I'm just gonna go…" Beca said, moving down the stairs to break up the fight.

Amy's face lit up, and shouted "the Kracken has been unleashed!" as she followed Beca.

Chloe could hardly watch. She was so not a fighter, although she did respect Beca for wanting to help a friend. She watched, biting her lip, and then flinched as she heard the crack of Beca's fist connecting with the man's cheek.

It went even crazier, and the next thing she realised, there was glass everywhere and people were fleeing.

"Oh my god," Chloe gasped, clutching at the collar of her own shirt as she watched Amy running down the corridor, leaving Beca standing frozen, alone, in front of the shattered glass.

Chloe made a move to hurry down the staircase to get to Beca, but Aubrey pulled on her arm. "Chloe, you don't want to get involved, okay?" she said sharply.

Chloe turned to face Aubrey. "Actually, I do." She tugged herself out of Aubrey's grip, and took the stairs as fast as her heels would allow. By the time she reached Beca, the security guard was already on the phone to the cops.

"Look, it's a misunderstanding. I was trying to break up a fight, not create vandalism!" Beca explained to the security guard.

"It's true!" Chloe exclaimed, wrapping an arm around Beca's shoulders. The brunette turned her head to her, a grateful expression on her face.

"Whatever. Tell it to the cops when they get here," the guard replied. He crossed his arms menacingly, and frowned.

Beca glanced around. Most of the crowd had taken off when the glass shattered, leaving a few observers, and the Bella's still grouped together on the staircase. She sighed, wondering how she got herself into this mess.

"Don't worry, it'll be okay," Chloe whispered reassuringly in her ear. She brought her free hand across to lace her fingers in Beca's. "I'll stay here with you."

"It's alright, I don't want you getting dragged down in any of this mess," Beca told her. "I'll probably just have to make a statement or something."

Jesse, who had been hanging back with a couple of the Trebles who didn't run off, took this chance to step forward. He glanced briefly at Chloe's hand in Beca's, and frowned at the redhead.

Before he got a chance to say anything, two police officers stepped through the glass doors. A hush fell across the room as they surveyed the scene, and zeroed in on Beca, Chloe and the security guard.

"She threw a trophy through the window," the security guard informed the police. Stepping away, the three men had a brief conversation, while managing to keep their eyes on Beca. She squeezed Chloe's hand a little tighter.

"Alright, ma'am, you're going to have to come down to the station with us," the burlier of the two cops said, glaring at her. "We don't take vandalism lightly here."

"But it was an accident! I didn't break it. I was breaking up a fight," Beca spluttered.

The officer held his hand up to stop the flow of voices coming from Chloe and the rest of the Bella's, while the other officer pulled out handcuffs.

"Oh my god," Chloe moaned softly. "You're not arresting her, are you? She didn't do anything!"

"Ma'am, I'm going to ask you to step away, or we'll be taking you too," the officer said to her sternly.

Chloe made to argue, but stopped at the sharp look Beca gave her. "Chloe, it's not worth it. Please, for me?"

Chloe sighed, but gave into the pleading look that Beca was giving her. With her arm still around Beca's shoulder, she gave her a quick, one armed hug, and then stepped back reluctantly. The officer holding the handcuffs moved into her space, and attached the silver rings to Beca's wrists.

Within a minute, Beca had been led away by the two police officers. The Bella's came rushing down to crowd around Chloe, all of them babbling about the events of the evening and expressing their concern for Beca. Aubrey stepped close to Chloe and placed a hand on her elbow.

"I'll go to the station and bail her out," Chloe told her, looking at her friend with worried eyes.

"Actually, no. I've already called her dad, he's going to get her," Jesse spoke up. He glanced briefly at the redhead, and then looked away. "I'm going down there now. She won't want many people there. I'll be fine with her dad. Just go home, okay? I think you all have done enough."

Chloe's mouth dropped open in shock, watching Jesse walk away. She turned to Aubrey, shaking her head. "Beca's not going to be happy about that. Her dad will be pissed. And I don't know why Jesse was acting all weird to me, I've hardly met him. But I still want to go down to the station to get Beca."

Aubrey sighed, running a hand through her hair. This evening was just too much.

"You know what, how about we all go to Beca's room? We can wait for her there?" Stacie spoke up. The rest of the Bella's all joined in with their approval of the idea.

"Hey, guys? What's going on, where's Beca?"

Amy had returned. She was walking sheepishly back down the corridor towards them, a guilty expression on her face. "I didn't mean to run off, I just panicked. I didn't realise a broken window was scarier than a kangaroo after he's eaten fermented mushrooms."

"Come on, we'll fill you in on the way," Aubrey finally said, looping her arm through Chloe's elbow. As a group, they headed out to the parking lot.

**TBC…**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Well, if the night couldn't have gotten any worse, it somehow did. Jesse had called her dad. Her _dad_, of all people. She couldn't understand why he felt he had the right to do that, especially considering Chloe was there and willing to help her out. What happened to Chloe, anyway?

Not to mention, she was feeling pretty pissed at her father. All those years of being absent from her life, and _now_ he chose to become a parent? Really?

To say that the ride back to Barden with her father was a frosty one, would be putting it lightly. Beca had never been so relieved to get out of her father's car, and she practically ran into the dorm building. She slowed her pace down as she arrived in her hallway, and let herself into her room.

She was met with a resounding chorus of welcomes.

The Bella's were all there, spread over her bed and floor, with Aubrey sitting at her desk. She gave a mock curtsey, while they all showered her with greetings.

"What up, Shawshank?"

"Did you get yourself a bitch?"

"Did they spray you with a hose?"

Of course, those questions would come from Amy and Cynthia Rose. Who else.

"You guys waited up for me?" Beca asked as she dropped her bag on the floor.

"Of course we waited up for you!" Chloe replied, readjusting herself on the bed. She gazed up at Beca, hoping to express her apologies for not having been there at the station.

Kimmy Jin stood up from her desk and glared. "They've been here for hours, _Beca._ It's been a real inconvenience." With that, the Asian woman turned and exited the room without sparing anyone another glance. Beca just sighed softly.

"Beca, I'm really glad you're here," Aubrey said, to Beca's surprise. "I think we should hold an emergency Bella's meeting." Oh wait, that sounded more normal.

Amy started to protest, but quickly gave up as Aubrey pressed on. She was on a mission, and didn't hesitate to shoot Beca down when she attempted to show Aubrey her mixes. Even Chloe tried to speak up for Beca, but Aubrey didn't give her a chance, dismissing the group. Chloe sighed in frustration, and turned to shoot Beca an apologetic smile.

"Chloe, are you coming?" Aubrey asked impatiently, pausing at the door and glancing over her shoulder to the redhead.

"Um, actually, I'm going to talk to Beca for a bit. But I'll see you in the morning?" Chloe said, slightly nervous of how her friend would react to that.

Aubrey let out an audible sigh, narrowing her eyes. "Whatever." She left, pulling the door shut behind her a little louder than necessary.

Chloe glanced at Beca, giving her a soft smile. "How's the hand?"

Beca glanced down at her hand, where it was already bruising lightly from when she punched the guy who was getting into Jesse. Now that she thought about it, her hand was really starting to hurt.

Her facial expression must have given it away, because Chloe moved over to her bag that was dumped by the bed, and pulled something out. "Here," she said, offering it to Beca. "Instant ice pack. I made sure to pick one up on the way here; I figured you'd probably need it."

"Thanks," Beca replied. "That was really thoughtful of you."

"Well, you were pretty brave, looking out for your, um, friend?" Chloe said, her voice going a little higher at the end, unsure if she was .

"Just friend," she said. She cracked the ice pack, shook it until it froze, and placed it on her hand. She turned to face Chloe, who was standing awkwardly next to the bed. "You can sit down, you know," she said with a smile. "My bed won't bite."

Chloe took a seat slowly, and began playing with a ring on her finger. "Come here?" she asked hesitantly. Beca paused, and then got up to join her on the bed. She leaned back against the headboard, studying Chloe.

"So, what happened after they took you away?" Chloe asked.

Beca sighed, and began playing with the frayed edges of her blanket. "Ugh. They had me fill out a million forms, and I had to sit in a holding cell for half an hour, with two strippers and a drug dealer to keep me company. Seriously. But whatever, it was fine. The only annoying part is that Jesse bailed me out, which I appreciated, but he also called my dad. That wasn't cool. My dad and I don't get along well." She glanced over at Chloe, who nodded apologetically. "Did you guys leave straight away and come here?"

"Pretty much. I wanted to come down to the station after you, but Jesse stopped me, and said he'd called your dad, and that he was fine to handle it himself. He seemed a little weird with the idea of me going, and I really didn't want to make things harder for you, so I came here with the Bella's instead." Chloe bit her lip. "I'm sorry I didn't come."

"Hey, don't apologize. I'm okay. Although, I want to kill Jesse for calling my dad. I might have yelled at him at the station," Beca admitted. "And I'm actually kind of annoyed now, because he made it out to sound like he was the only one who cared enough to come. I wish you had just come instead of him. It's just so frustrating because he acts like my boyfriend, but he's not, and I don't want him to be. I just wish he'd get the hint that I only like him as a friend."

"He hasn't tried anything, has he?" Chloe asked.

Beca groaned. "Just once. We were hanging out here, and he was making me watch the end of the Breakfast Club, and at the end, he leaned in like he was going to kiss me. But I pulled back, fortunately. He just doesn't seem to be able to take a hint."

"Maybe you should just tell him straight out?"

"Yeah, I guess, although he probably won't be interested in talking to me anytime soon. I will eventually though, since he is a great friend otherwise. And it's not like I have many of them, aside from you," Beca replied

Chloe beamed at her.

"Anyway, I hope you know I am grateful that you were willing to bail me out," Beca said, meeting Chloe's gaze and giving her a thankful smile.

"What else are friends for?" Chloe asked simply with a shrug. She leaned forward and pulled Beca into a tight hug, who only hesitated slightly before bringing her arms up and returning the hug.

They stayed like that for several moments before breaking apart.

"So, if you're not tired, want to show me some of your music?" Chloe asked hopefully.

Beca grinned. "Sure. I'll get my laptop." She stood, and quickly retrieved her laptop from her desk. She sat back down next to Chloe on the bed, their shoulders brushing together, and set the laptop down in between them across their legs.

"I just like to make music. I match the base beats, and find songs that flow together. Or better yet, I find songs that shouldn't work, and I make them fit," she explained. She moved her hand to the computer's touchpad, and then repositioned the ice pack on it so she could click freely. Chloe watched, fascinated, as Beca brought up the mixing program she used, and showed her how it all worked.

"Beca, this is…it's awesome. Really," Chloe finally said, her mind blown.

Beca grinned. "I never did give you a CD of my songs, did I? I have been working on it, but I wanted to make it as a mash up CD for you. I have it ready for you now, you can take it with you. But there's a song I want you to listen to, it's on there…I kinda made specifically for you."

Chloe's eyebrows shot up, and she turned her head to look at Beca. "You _made_ me a song? Just for _me_?"

"It's just a song, don't go all fangirl on me, Chloe," Beca said with a light chuckle. She quickly queued a song up on her laptop, and hit play. The first few strains of Titanium began to play, yet mixed with the strong beat of Bulletproof, by La Rioux. The two songs mashed together, sounded _awesome_.

"You mixed our song!" Chloe squealed happily. "And I love Bulletproof, this is perfect!" She reached out and grabbed Beca's good hand in excitement as she listened intently to the song. They both remained quiet as the music rose and fell, and a warm feeling began to grown in the pit of Chloe's stomach. Not even anyone from her previous relationships had made her a song before.

As the final chords of the song faded, Beca chuckled nervously. "Well, yeah, I know it wasn't totally awesome or anything, but-"

"Hey!" Chloe cut her off. Realizing she was still holding the brunette's hand, she gave it a quick squeeze. "Look at me. It was awesome. And you made it for _me_. I love it, Beca."

They shared a smile, and held it for a few moments, neither wanting to break the moment. Beca felt her heart rate beginning to pick up slightly. She really wasn't sure what she was feeling at that moment, other than she felt really connected to Chloe right then, there was an electricity in the air, and she wasn't sure what to do, but Chloe was looking at her, and her blue eyes were _sparkling_, and it-

The dorm room door swung open roughly, and Kimmy Jin stepped into the room. "Oh. You're still here. With _company_," she said shortly, her tone dripping with distain.

The moment gone, Chloe dropped Beca's hand and flashed Kimmy Jin a wide smile. "Oh, I'm so sorry Kimmy Jin. I don't mean to intrude on your time in your room. I'll just get going back to my dorm, okay?"

Kimmy Jin, apparently unable to be rude to Chloe's bubbly personality, simply turned to her desk and began sorting through her bag.

Chloe slid off the bed, and reached over to pull Beca to her feet. "Thanks for showing me that stuff," she said, motioning to the laptop on the bed. "And really, the song is awesome. I'll see you at rehearsal tomorrow?"

Beca nodded mutely, but managed an awkward smile. "Here," she said, reaching over to the shelf next to her bed and pulling a CD case down. "Here's your CD, as promised. Honestly, most of it is the same as your songs, but a few extras, and it's all mashed."

"Thanks!" Shaking her head, Chloe grinned and pulled the girl into a quick hug. "Goodnight, Beca," she said, and turned to leave the room.

"Goodnight Chloe!" Beca called after her. As the door shut, Beca sank slowly down onto her bed, and closed the lid of her laptop. She drew a slow breath, and shook her head.

* * *

What the hell just happened?

Chloe let the door shut behind her, and then took a moment to lean against the door and draw in a slow breath. What just happened? She felt electric, and her hand was warm from holding Beca's only moments before. At that moment, Chloe realized that the intense feeling of friendship she felt for Beca, was starting to intensify into something more.

And that didn't scare her.

With a smile, Chloe moved down the hallway, the CD clutched tightly in her hand. Even though she had Bella's rehearsal in approximately seven hours, and Aubrey would _totally_ be able to tell if she hadn't gotten enough beauty sleep (as Aubrey so aptly phrased it), all she wanted to do in that moment was load the disc onto her laptop and listen to it.

Especially Titanium.

* * *

**TBC…**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

With the thrill of placing second at regionals wearing off, Aubrey doubled her energy at rehearsals. She drilled the girls every day, making them start and end the practices with laps around the auditorium, and even wheeled in a large, portable mirror to ensure each Bella could see their mistakes up close.

Beca, who normally wasn't a huge fan of Christmas, was actually relieved when winter vacation rolled around, meaning that the Bella's would stop rehearsals for the break.

"You're staying at Barden over Christmas though, right?" Chloe asked her as the final rehearsal before the break was ending.

"Yeah. My dad wanted me to come and stay with him and his new wife, but I declined the invitation. I'd rather hang out at Barden," Beca told her. "Besides, ever since my parents split up, I haven't liked Christmas."

"You don't like Christmas?" asked Chloe with a disappointed smile. She felt bad for Beca. Christmas had always been a wonderful time for her growing up, as her parents were big on decorating, and keeping traditions.

"Not really. It just became another holiday where my parents would argue over who I'd stay with, and then they'd make snide comments about the other one the whole time. I did love Christmas though, when I was little," Beca added. "What about you, are you heading home?"

"I'm not, actually. My two brothers can't make it back this Christmas, since one of them works at a hospital and can't get the time off, and the other one is travelling through Europe right now," replied Chloe. "So I told my parents I wanted to spend it at Barden, since it's my last year here, and they're going on a cruise together."

"Why did you want to stay at Barden?" Beca asked her.

"Mostly because I thought it would be nice for my parents to do something nice together, but they wouldn't have if I was going to be there," Chloe replied simply. "Besides, it wouldn't be the same without my brothers there. But, it's all worked out, because I have an awesome idea."

Beca raised an eyebrow. "What is this awesome idea?"

"We're going to spend Christmas together!" Chloe declared.

She could see Beca's hesitation, and pressed on. "Trust me; we'll have a great time. We can listen to Christmas music, and watch a Christmas movie and drink eggnog and just hang out. I'll make you enjoy Christmas, okay?"

Beca hesitated slightly, but had to admit, it sounded like it could be kind of fun. "Okay, you've got a deal. And Kimmy Jin is leaving tomorrow to go home, so we can hang out in peace in my room."

"Perfect!" Chloe said happily, clapping her hands together. "Oh, we can put up a tree!"

Beca wondered what she had just gotten herself into.

* * *

"Here, Beca, have some hot chocolate?"

Chloe held out a mug of hot liquid towards Beca, who smiled in gratitude and accepted the mug.

The brunette, while somewhat grudgingly at first, soon got into the spirit of the season. _It's hard not to_, she reasoned to herself, _when Chloe's enthusiasm and cheer is so overwhelming_.

It was now Christmas Eve, and the two women had spent the day putting up a small Christmas tree in Beca's dorm room. They had decided to make it musically themed, and spent an hour making various decorations out of old CD's, sheet music, and guitar strings. Even Beca had to admit, the tree looked awesome.

They were now spending the evening just hanging out and enjoying each other's company, both feeling at ease without needing to make conversation or anything. Chloe was working on a paper that was due after the Christmas break was over, while Beca sat at her computer absorbed in making a new mix.

Chloe placed her own hot chocolate carefully on Beca's nightstand, and stretched out on the bed in front of her laptop. She started typing her paper, however was soon interrupted by the buzzing of her cell phone. It was Aubrey.

_Hey Chlo, hope you're having a great Christmas eve! What are you getting up to?_

_Just hanging with Beca, since she's at Barden still too. Working on my paper too. How's the fam?_ Chloe texted back.

_You're hanging with Beca, really? Ugh. The fam are okay, mom sends her love to you. Dad's trying to talk me into grad school again. _

Chloe emitted a soft sigh. _I just wish you and Beca would take some time to get to know each other. She's not you, but she's still an important friend to me, Aubs, okay?_

The phone stayed silent after Chloe hit send, so she turned back to her laptop. A couple minutes went by before a new text came in.

_Sorry Chloe. I'll stop. I do hope you have a good Christmas, okay?_

_Thanks __ Tell your parents I said hi, and give your little brother a hug for me. I miss you!_

Chloe tossed her phone down onto the bed with a small smile. Yeah, she and Aubrey didn't have the easiest of friendships, and there were times that Aubrey could really hurt her feelings. But at the end of the day, they were best friends; they were there for each other. Aubrey was her person.

Chloe focused back on her paper for a few more minutes, but her attention kept wandering. Realizing that any concentration on Christmas Eve was futile, she closed the lid of her laptop and reached for her hot chocolate, which had cooled down to perfect drinking temperature. She watched Beca work as she sipped, noticing immediately how comfortable and at ease Beca looked, sitting at her desk with her headphones on and fingers moving swiftly from the mouse to various controls on the mixing equipment. She noticed when Beca was concentrating, her eyes would narrow, and she'd absently bite her bottom lip, or maybe crinkle her nose. Or occasionally, Beca would bring a hand up and run it through her hair. She was so pretty, and she didn't even realise it. Even the piercings dotting her ears, and the thick black wristlets added to her attractiveness, they were just so _Beca_, and Chloe found it so enchanting and -

"What?" Beca asked, and Chloe blinked. She'd completely started daydreaming.

"Uh, nothing, just lost in thought," she replied with a light smile.

"You were staring at me, I could feel a hole burning," Beca told her. She placed the headphones down onto the desk. "Are you bored?"

"A little, I can't focus on my paper. Are you at a stopping point?"

"I can be."

"Want to watch a movie with me? Miracle on 34th Street. I've watched it every Christmas since I can remember, it's a personal tradition of mine." Chloe paused, biting her lip. "But I know you don't like movies, and that's cool. I can watch it alone. I just-"

"Okay!" Beca interrupted, rolling her eyes but the smile on her face showed she was kidding around. "I don't want to be holding you up from fulfilling your traditions, and you'd look pretty lame watching it alone, so I guess I can watch it with you. I can't promise you I'll like it, but I'll watch it."

Chloe clapped her hands in excitement, and opened her laptop up again so she could find the movie that she had stored on the hard drive the first Christmas after getting the laptop.

Beca couldn't help but notice how happy Chloe was, more than just her average exuberant self. Her face simply glowed, and Beca wasn't sure if it was because of the Christmas mood in the air, or the fact that Chloe was not thinking about the pressure from the Bella's and her nodes at that moment, but whatever it was, she liked seeing the redhead like this. She liked seeing Chloe's smile light up her face, and have that warmth pass over to herself. _When,_ Beca wondered to herself, _did I ever have someone in my life who just made me feel lighter?_ No one really, and that's what made Beca draw to Chloe more, despite their differences, like how Beca felt more comfortable away from people with the comfort of her music and mixing equipment, whereas Chloe thrived at social events and getting to know others.

"Okay, now you're the one staring," Chloe said, and Beca shook her head lightly.

"Just lost in thought," she replied, echoing Chloe's previous statement. She shot the redhead a smile, and moved over to the bed.

Chloe propped the computer up on a couple of pillows at the foot of the bed, and angled the screen so that she and Beca could see easily while resting against the bed's headboard and stretching their legs out on the bed. Chloe, in an attempt to get comfortable, wriggled around for a moment before picking up Beca's arm and draping it over her shoulders. Chloe smiled to herself as she heard Beca's breath hitch and her arm tense for a moment, before resuming even breaths, and relaxing the tension in her arms. She congratulated herself on another successful attempt at getting through Beca's walls, and turned her attention to the movie.

Beca had to admit she felt comfortable with Chloe pressed up against her. Not something she was used to, and she did feel uncomfortable at first, but then again, it was _Chloe_. The woman had a way of getting into Beca's head, and getting her to do things that were outside of her comfort level. Knowing Chloe, it would be pointless to argue, so Beca figured she might as well enjoy it.

To Beca's surprise, she was actually enjoying the movie. Yeah, it was kinda predictable, but it was a cute movie, and she enjoyed watching Chloe watch the movie. It was clear that the redhead loved it.

As the credits rolled, Beca tried to stop a giant yawn from escaping.

"Tired?" Chloe asked, a slight giggle bubbling out. At Beca's nod, Chloe pulled away, and kneeled over the foot of the bed to shut down the laptop.

"You can probably crash in Kimmy Jin's bed, she won't notice," Beca said tiredly. She pulled the cover over herself, and watched as Chloe got off the bed to sit the laptop on the desk.

Chloe shook her head with a grin. "Thanks, but I'm good."

To Beca's surprise, Chloe came back to the head of the bed, and slipped under the sheet next to Beca. "Good night, Beca," she said reaching over to give the brunette a one armed hug.

Beca, feeling incredibly awkward, watched as the redhead snuggled under the covers and close her eyes. There was space between them, so it wasn't like they were cuddling or anything, but Beca hadn't exactly shared a bed with anyone before to just sleep, and she wasn't quite sure what to do. It was clear from Chloe's body language that she was used to sharing a bed with friends.

"Uh, good night Chloe," she finally got out, and rolled to the side, away from Chloe. She closed her eyes, and tried to focus on anything but the heat of the warm body next to her.

* * *

"Beca, wake up! It's Christmas Day!" a cheery voice called up, pulling Beca out of her dreams.

She blearily opened her eyes, to see Chloe wide awake and dressed in black tights, a green sweater dress, and tinsel hair clips.

"Someone's excited today," Beca said, tossing the covers off and swinging her legs to the side.

"Of course, it's Christmas," Chloe replied simply. "Hurry up and get dressed? Then we can go for a walk and get coffee?"

Beca compiled, and even put on a long red top and matched it with a gold scarf and green jacket, at Chloe's insistence ("C'mon, Beca, wear something at least a little Christmas-y, for me?"). They made their way outside, Chloe easily looping her arm through Beca's, as they leisurely strolled towards the campus cafeteria.

The two women had an enjoyable morning. After getting coffee from the automated machine at the cafeteria, they continued to wander aimlessly around campus as they sipped their coffees and talked about music, the Bella's, their families – everything. When the cold air became too much, they retreated back to Beca's dorm, where Chloe pulled out a gift from her bag and presented it to Beca.

"Oh, you didn't have to get me a gift, Chloe, thanks," Beca said sincerely. She tugged off the ribbon, and pulled the paper away to reveal an elegant, flat box. She curiously lifted the lid, to find a gorgeous leather journal nestled on a bed of tissue paper. Hanging out of the journal was a leather bookmark with a treble clef charm on the end.

"Chloe, it's gorgeous!" Beca exclaimed softly as she lifted the journal out. Chloe beamed at the positive response.

"I hoped you might like it," she replied. "I know I didn't have to get you a gift, we never talked about giving gifts, but I just wanted to."

Beca grinned, and reached over to pull a small, silver wrapped box from her desk drawer. "Good thing we think alike then, isn't it?" she asked as she handed the small gift over to the redhead.

Chloe opened the box to find a delicate chain, adorned with a little treble clef charm. "Oh, Beca…" Chloe was speechless, as she pulled out the necklace and admired the charm as it sparkled in the light. She held it out to Beca. "Put it on me?"

Beca accepted the necklace, and brought her hands up around Chloe's neck to affix the clasp. Chloe sat patiently, a hand holding her hair out of the way, and beamed when the necklace was safely clasped around her neck. She loved it.

"I love it, thank you really do think alike, getting the same musical note and all," she commented, lightly fingering the treble clef charm.

Beca smiled. "True. So, what's next on your Christmas Day agenda?"

"Cookies!" Chloe declared with a smile. She reached over for a shopping bag that she had earlier placed by the bed that Beca had paid no attention to, and reached in to bring out a bag of flour. "Christmas cookies, to be exact. I even have themed cookie cutters. Come on, we'll use the shared dorm kitchen. And, I might also have some eggnog and rum, because what's Christmas without getting a little tipsy and crying over cookies?"

Beca could only raise her eyebrows as the exuberant redhead bounced out of the room, before sighing softly and dutifully following behind, albeit somewhat less energetic. _Only Chloe could get me baking cookies_, she mused to herself.

**TBC…**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

After Christmas day, the rest of the break seemed to fly by. The two women soon settled into a routine, where Chloe would go for a morning run, and return with coffee and muffins. After eating breakfast together, they would make plans for the day – one day was spent studying in the library (more so for Chloe; Beca was more occupied on the beats in her headphones that she was mixing at a desk across from Chloe), another day was spent at the local ice skating rink (which Chloe nearly had to drag Beca to, after which Beca admitted she had a great time).

Chloe also learned that, while not a fan of movies, Beca had a secret obsession with Greys Anatomy. They spent every evening holed up in Beca's bed with popcorn, tequila, and multiple seasons of Grey's Anatomy on DVD.

Beca learned that Chloe had trouble when it came to staying quiet during the show. She often interrupted to share an opinion or thought, but Beca found she didn't mind it. In fact, she shared just as much, and when the conversation turned to other topics during the week, she didn't hold back like she normally would. She opened up, and Chloe responded just as much, if not more.

All in all, Beca had to admit that she really enjoyed spending the week with Chloe. Despite not being one for having 'best friends', or even many girls who were close friends, she had really gotten to know Chloe, and care for her. It was definitely making her experience at Barden a lot more enjoyable.

Chloe was also feeling quite similar. She had come to really appreciate and respect the brunette, and was really disappointed at the end of the Christmas vacation and she had to move back into her own dorm room. She was also becoming more aware that some of the feelings she had towards Beca were developing into something more than just a platonic friendship, but this was something she tried to brush off. She wasn't going to lose this friendship on a chance.

* * *

After vacation, Aubrey wasted no time in scheduling Bella's rehearsals. She kept the girls working to the grind, insisting that they had to be perfect for semi-finals.

"The semi's will be on us before we realise, so we have to be perfect, you understand!" she yelled at the group at the end of a particularly harrowing rehearsal.

And, although no one wanted to admit that Aubrey was right, she was correct in one sense. The few weeks they had flew past, and the next thing Chloe realised, she was getting on a bus to go to semi's.

The bus ride was so quiet. Too quiet. Chloe didn't deal well with silence, so she turned to her saviour – music.

She hit shuffle on her music player, and allowed herself to zone out to her music.

Zone out, that is, until Miley Cyrus started playing.

Chloe had a firm belief that you couldn't really zone out to Miley Cyrus, and especially not a song like Party In The USA. It was too upbeat and fun and addictive to listen to while dozing; it deserved to be enjoyed and sung in the shower, and played in a car while on a long road trip, and blasted in a dorm room at 1am on a Saturday night.

So Chloe did the only logical thing. She started to sing along.

Softly at first, through the first line, and then she heard Cynthia Rose chime in.

Before she knew it, the whole bus was rocking out to the song – almost.

Beca sat in her seat, staring straight ahead, but Chloe could see the corners of her mouth tugging upwards ever so slightly. Chloe leaned towards her, singing right at her, and she felt Stacie standing behind her and leaning towards the silent Bella also.

Beca glanced back, caught Chloe's gaze, and burst out laughing. The whole group paused at the end of the verse, waiting, and Beca grinned. Surely one song wouldn't hurt her street cred.

"So I put my hands up!" she sang out, closing her eyes and letting the energy of the group envelop her.

Chloe flashed a huge smile at her friend before getting back into the groove of the song. This was what the Bella's needed. To let loose, have fun, and just _listen_ to how awesome they could sound.

* * *

Somehow, the Bella's managed to survive the dramas of Amy getting hit by a flying burrito, running out of gas, and needing to hitch a ride with the Treblemakers – who were also booked into the same hotel for the night to crash after the semi-finals.

Chloe sat beside Beca in the bus, and subtly slipped her hand in the brunettes. Beca didn't pull away, and Chloe was immensely grateful for this. She really needed Beca right then, because all she could think of was how right she thought Beca was, and how frustrating it was that Aubrey wouldn't listen to her input for the Bella's. And, simply put, she was just incredibly nervous.

Beca seemed to sense what she was feeling, because Chloe felt her hand be squeezed softly.

As the bus arrived outside the building that the performances were being held, Aubrey released an audible sigh. She pushed her way to the front to be the first one off the bus, leaving Beca free to send an eye roll and a shrug towards Chloe.

Chloe reluctantly let go of Beca's hand, and they filed off the bus.

This was it.

Chloe felt butterflies in her stomach all the way through walking inside, and standing in a group back stage. They intensified as the Bella's watched another group perform, because that group was _amazing_, and Chloe did not like their chances at all. But, come hell or high water, she was going to sing her best, and hoped that every other Bella was thinking the same thing.

* * *

It turned out that yes, Chloe was right; ever other Bella was thinking the same thing. They sang their best. The only issue with that, was it wasn't enough to keep the audience interested, and Chloe could tell immediately, just a couple bars into her solo, that they weren't going to win.

And then Beca broke out with Bulletproof.

And it sounded _amazing_.

Chloe shot a brief glance at Beca, but wasn't sure if the brunette caught her smile. She turned back to the audience, and noticed straight away the smiles and nodding heads that looked up at them. Right then, Chloe knew that Beca was what the Bella's needed to take the next step.

There was only one problem with that.

Aubrey.

* * *

Chloe had barely gotten off the stage before Aubrey came storming past and began verbally tearing into Beca. This killed Chloe, because Aubrey and Beca were probably the two most important people in Chloe's life, and it felt a little like Chloe was going to have to choose her future, right then and there.

And it seemed like the moment was there, when Aubrey forced Beca to find out what the rest of the Bella's thought.

Chloe knew what she had to do. She had to stand up to Aubrey, because she believed in her heart that Beca was doing the right thing; she was trying to move the Bella's forward – that's what they needed. She glanced upwards, drawing in a deep breath, and –

"Amy?" Beca asked.

She missed her chance. But Aubrey was still berating Beca, and she tried to get Aubrey to stop – not that it worked.

"Don't worry, it's not like you need to pretend you're allowed to have a say in the group, right?" Beca said harshly to her.

Beca immediately regretted the words as soon as they passed her lips, and wished she could take them back. But it was too late, she saw the hurt flash across Chloe's face.

And of course, Jesse chose that moment to show up and make things worse. Seriously?

Beca sighed, and felt herself deflating. She couldn't deal with this anymore. "If this is what I get for trying," she said, shrugging, before turning away. She could hear Benji calling after her, but she ignored him and kept going, intent on finding an exit so she could get some fresh air and _breathe_ for a moment.

"Aubrey, that actually went really well-" Chloe started, but was cut off by the blonde.

"Chloe, don't!" Aubrey stormed off angrily.

"Oh my gosh," Chloe said to herself, feeling incredibly overwhelmed as the Trebles brushed past her, not being particularly careful.

There was only one person she could think of at that moment. Beca. She had to speak to her, so Chloe took off in the direction she saw Beca leave in, as fast as her heels would allow. Reaching the start of the hallway, she saw Benji calling out to the brunette, who was ignoring him.

"Beca, wait!" Chloe shouted.

Against her better judgement, Beca stopped, but didn't turn around. She sighed, hating herself in that moment for treating Chloe so horribly.

Chloe hurried down the hallway, shooting Benji an apologetic smile but slowing only when she reached Beca. Looking into the brunette's eyes, she saw sadness, defeat, guilt, and disappointment.

Chloe prayed the disappointment wasn't because of her, although she probably deserved it for not standing up to Aubrey.

"Beca…" Chloe began, running a hand anxiously through her hair. "I…no. Let's go and get coffee, and sit down somewhere, because I need to say some things to you, and I want us to do this properly, because I don't want to lose you."

Beca was surprised, and reached out to touch Chloe on the shoulder. "Chloe. You won't lose me. I was a bitch just then, and I fucked up our group. You should hate me right now. I'm the one who lost you. And god, I am so sorry." She bit her lip, wishing she could take back her earlier sentence.

Chloe sighed in relief, and pulled Beca into a hug. "You haven't lost me, I promise. Come on, we really need to talk. Coffee?"

"Coffee," agreed Beca.

They walked out into the crisp, cool air, and immediately spotted an all night café across the road. Quickly, they made their way over, chose a booth in the corner, and ordered coffees from the bored, bubblegum-snapping waitress.

Before either of them could talk, Beca's phone buzzed. She glanced down at the text, and sighed. She passed it over to Chloe to read.

_Hey B. Sorry this shit is going down, I thought you were good. I saw Chloe following you, hope she caught you. Results were just announced; we placed third so we're out of nationals. CR._

Chloe gave a barely audible sigh, and a resigned smile, before handing the phone back to Beca. The brunette immediately stashed it in her pocket, and brought her hands to the table to play with a sugar packet.

"Can I start?" Beca asked hesitantly. Chloe nodded, smiling at her reassuringly. "Okay. I want to start by apologizing for what I said to you back there. That was so uncalled for."

Chloe shrugged. "It's completely true though. I don't get a say. Aubrey says we're partners in this, yet completely steamrolls me for every decision. And I take it, because she's my person, and the Bella's are her whole life. But when she told you to ask the rest of us what we thought of your Bulletproof addition, I wished you asked me."

"You looked away though," Beca stated. "And I wouldn't have, anyway. Aubrey's your best friend. I wasn't going to put you in a position to have to choose, I couldn't do that to you."

"Beca," Chloe said gently, reaching out to brush her fingers against Beca's hand, resting on the table. "I looked away, but it wasn't because I was avoiding you asking me. I was taking in a breath, because I was gathering the courage to tell Aubrey how wrong she was. Properly tell her, not like my useless attempts at rehearsals. Seriously. I mean, how could she not have seen the yawns in the audience?"

"Exactly! I didn't do it to screw up the Bella's, I swear. I know I haven't always been the best part of the group, but I am honestly trying here," Beca told her.

"I know. And yeah, it caught me by surprise, but it's not like you could have warned us mid-song. I think you made the right move," replied Chloe. "Everyone perked up when you started singing. You were amazing."

Beca smiled faintly. "Well, I guess you're the only one who thought so. But honestly, I can admit it was a dick move on my part to spring it on everyone, and I feel the worst for you."

"For me?" Chloe asked, surprised.

Beca nodded. "Yeah. The Bella's might be Aubrey's whole life, but I also know how important it is to you. I wanted us to win for you, Chloe, I like because you light up when you're singing, and I know how much you wanted to go to finals."

"Beca," Chloe said softly. "That is one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me."

Beca groaned lightly, blushing. "Please don't go getting all girly on me. I'll be honest, I am new to the whole express your feelings things. I just, I want you to feel appreciated. Because I do appreciate you."

Chloe beamed, but tried somewhat unsuccessfully to settle it down to a small smile. "Thanks."

"And, Chloe, I want you to know I am really sorry for what I said before. I was frustrated by Aubrey, and I took it out on you, and that's not okay. I hate that I hurt your feelings, and I promise I will try to never let that happen again," Beca told her sincerely.

Chloe couldn't help but smile at the worried expression on Beca's face. She didn't blame the brunette for reacting badly, and felt really touched at how heartfelt Beca's apology was. She gave her hand a gentle squeeze and a reassuring smile. "I forgive you, we're good. I promise. I trust that you care about me, you're okay."

Beca's immediate relief almost wiped away all her guilt. "So, what now?"

"Nothing." Chloe shrugged. "We're out, so that's it for the Bella's. But maybe it doesn't need to be the end for us? I want us to stay friends, even without the Bella's. Because when I'm with you, we have fun, and it's relaxed and carefree and we're equal. I need that. I want us to stay friends, Beca, okay?"

"Of course, Chloe," replied Beca, relieved. Wow. Looks like she had made a real, true friend. This was a first.

At that moment, her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out to read the incoming text.

_Hey, wanted to let you both know that we're heading back in a few. Are you two coming on the bus with us? Hope you're both okay – CR_

"It's Cynthia Rose," she told Chloe. "She's checking that we're okay, and to let us know that they're leaving in a few, and are we coming?"

Chloe sighed. "I can't deal with Aubrey right now. I know she's my best friend, but I just can't. If you're up for it, I'd rather crash in a motel tonight, and then rent a car tomorrow for the drive back. Does that sound okay?"

"Actually, it really does. Cool. I'll just text her back and tell her we're set to get back ourselves."

Chloe nodded, slipping a few bills on the table. They exited the café, and managed to flag a taxi down fairly quickly.

* * *

**TBC...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

After getting dropped off at a cheap motel and paying for a room, the girls opened the door to find a somewhat clean, but small, room.

"Looks like we'll be sharing a bed tonight," Chloe said as she tossed her jacket lightly onto the end of the double sized bed. Beca nodded, not seeing any other possible solution, and sank down onto the soft mattress. She shrugged out of her jacket, and began untying her Bella's scarf.

"Do you need the bathroom at all?" Chloe asked.

"No, go right ahead. I'm pretty much ready to get into bed," replied Beca. She glanced over her shoulder, watching the redhead enter the tiny bathroom, and then glanced down at her feet as she slipped her shoes off. Once they were removed, she placed them to the side, pulled her hair out of the elastic band binding it, and then stood up to pull the covers back.

Beca climbed back into bed, and reclined against the pillows, taking note of how silent the room was, compared to the evening. All she could hear was the sound of running water in the bathroom, which soon shut off and the door opened.

"Sleepy?" Chloe asked, as she kicked off her shoes.

Beca sighed. "Yes. No. Kinda, I guess." She glanced over, and saw Chloe pulling her skirt off. "Whoa. You're not going to sleep naked, are you?"

Chloe grinned, and shook her head. "Don't worry, no. There's no way I can sleep in a skirt. You don't seriously still have yours on, right? You'll be super uncomfortable. They're _pencil_ skirts."

Beca rolled her eyes, but had to admit that the redhead had a point. Wriggling around under the sheet, she managed to unzip her skirt, and slide it off. "I swear, if it were anyone else but you," she said wryly.

Chloe lightly tossed her neck scarf on the beside table, and slid into the bed next to Beca, taking care not to touch the brunette – she didn't have an issue sharing a bed with another girl, but she knew Beca was still new to the whole sharing personal space thing, and didn't want to freak her out.

Beca reached over to the light switch conveniently located next to her side of the bed, and snapped the light off. They lay in the darkness for a few minutes, with only moonlight filtering through the window.

Chloe closed her eyes, but only lasted a few moments before opening them again. Her mind was too full to allow her to sleep. And for some reason, she couldn't stop thinking about the woman laying in the bed, half a foot away. She reached up to her neck and fingered the delicate treble clef charm that hung around her neck, her Christmas gift from Beca.

"Beca?" she said in a soft whisper, not waking to disrupt her friend if she'd already fallen asleep.

"Yeah, Chloe?" the brunette replied. She turned her head to the side, and caught Chloe's eyes.

"Can I ask you a sort of personal question? You can say no, though," Chloe asked quietly.

Beca nodded in the dark, not realizing that Chloe wouldn't be able to see. Chloe took the silence as a yes anyway.

"Do you honestly not like Jesse?"

Beca released a soft sigh. "As a friend, nothing more," she replied in an equally soft voice. "Other than you, he's the only other real friend I have here at Barden, and I don't want to lose that. But god, he knows how to piss me off, like tonight. And I wish Aubrey would get it out of her head already that I like him. And as for Jesse, I know he wants more than just friendship, but I don't, I really don't see him that way. He's definitely **not** my type."

Chloe felt a flutter in her stomach, feeling a strange surge of hope rise up. "Oh, okay," she replied lightly.

"Why? Are you interested in him?" Beca asked. She shifted in the bed to face Chloe, whose face was illuminated slightly in the moonlight.

"Jesse? God no. Not at all," Chloe replied immediately.

Beca raised an eyebrow. "Really? He seemed a little like that guy you were hooking up with at initiation. What is your type, then?"

Chloe thought for a moment, her brow furrowed. "I guess I'd like a person who's down to earth, loves music, and like me for me," she replied slowly. "Those frat guys I've been with didn't mean anything; they were just there and were good for a bit of fun. But I haven't even been with anyone for a few months now. I guess I'm just waiting for the right… _person_ to come along." She glanced across at Beca, making eye contact in the darkened room for the briefest of moments before flicking her gaze back to the ceiling.

Beca wasn't quite sure how to interpret this, as the part of her that was hardcore crushing on Chloe made her feel quite hopeful – yet her realist side was beating her with a stick, protecting her from getting too hurt.

She couldn't help but take not of the fact that Chloe didn't use a male pronoun when referring to the type of person.

* * *

Chloe awoke the following morning, to find out that during the night, she and Beca must have subconsciously gravitated towards each other, as they were currently cuddled together. Beca's head rested on her shoulder, Chloe's arms wrapped tight around her upper body, their legs tangled together.

It felt…comfortable.

Chloe was always a cuddly person, and wouldn't think twice about snuggling up with her friends when watching movies or at a sleep over. Over the past few years, she and Aubrey had a close friendship, where they would crash on Aubrey's sofa together after a long night of practicing their Bella's routine, or Aubrey would sleep over in Chloe's room when Aubrey's dorm mate would bring yet another guy to the room.

Yet, as Chloe laid there, one of her hands absently coming up and slowly running her fingers through Beca's hair, she started to reflect on her friendship with Aubrey. She was starting to see how she had truly become the submissive one in their friendship, and how Aubrey took advantage of that to maintain control. Chloe basically let her, always justifying it in her mind with some excuse, like Aubrey was under a lot of pressure, or maybe her ideas really were better.

How things changed.

Choosing to follow Beca and not Aubrey last night demonstrated how Chloe was finally standing up for herself. She was extremely pissed at Aubrey, and it might take a little time for their friendship to recover, because Chloe was done with being walked on. From now on, she was going to stand up for herself, and follow her beliefs.

And it definitely helped knowing that she had Beca by her side.

"Chloe?" a sleepy voice broke the silence.

Chloe snapped to attention, stilling the hand that was in Beca's hair, and glanced down at Beca. The brunette was still in her arms, although felt slightly tense. Respecting that, Chloe released her hold on Beca, and sat up.

"Morning, Beca. I hope they have somewhere good around for breakfast, what do you think?" she asked, stretching before sliding out of the bed to retrieve her skirt.

Beca eyed the redhead, and internally sighed in relief. It had been surprising to her to wake up in Chloe's arms, but even more surprising to realise that she _liked_ the feeling. When was the last time she had been held by someone and felt so warm and cared about? Not in a long time. But still, she felt awkward when she awoke and realized Chloe was awake too, although seemingly lost in thought, and she wasn't sure what she should do. She appreciated the redhead picking up on that, and ensuring it didn't get awkward. Yep, Chloe was definitely a good friend to have.

"Breakfast sounds good," she replied as she stifled a yawn. "I'd kill to have a shower first, though."

"Go ahead. There are towels in the bathroom. Just a shame that you don't have clothes to change into," Chloe answered. "Anyway. I'm going to go down to speak to the guy at the front desk. Enjoy your shower!"

Beca watched Chloe leave, and then swung her legs over the bed and stood up slowly, relishing in the feel of her muscles stretching. She made her way to the bathroom and turned on the shower, allowing the water to heat up while she undressed. She folded her clothes and placed them onto the closed lid of the toilet, before stepping into the steaming water and pulling the shower curtain across to stop splashes from soaking the tiny bathroom.

The water pressure was surprisingly strong, and felt so good against her back. She started to hum Bulletproof – the song that caused all the dramas the day before – and had just sung the first line to the chorus, when she heard the bathroom door open.

"Beca, don't freak out, it's just me," Chloe's voice called out over the noise of the running shower. "I am not going to burst in on another shower of yours, so you're good. I got us some toothpaste and toothbrushes from the front desk. I just need to brush my teeth, is that okay?"

"At least you're asking this time!" Beca called back, smirking. "That's fine, thanks for getting me one!"

The bathroom was quiet for a moment.

"Can you keep singing?" Chloe asked hesitantly. Beca barely heard her over the sound of the shower, but she grinned anyway.

"This time, baby, I'll be bulletproof…"

* * *

In no time at all, the two women were ready to get back to Barden. They had checked out, and the helpful employee at the front desk had directed them to the nearest car rental lot – conveniently a few hundred yards down the road. Chloe didn't hesitate to rent a bright yellow VW Bug, after confirming that there was a rental car drop off location quite close to campus.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road!" Chloe proclaimed as she backed out of the rental lot and onto the main road. Beca, who had been putting their destination into the car's GPS system, glanced up.

"Actually, how about some breakfast, and then we get going?" she asked. "I'm starving."

Chloe nodded, and spied an upcoming donut place that had a drive thru. Within minutes, they were loaded with coffee, donuts and bagels.

"Mm, this is really good coffee," Beca moaned as she took a sip.

Chloe nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely." She placed her drink in the cup holder, and brought her hand back to the steering wheel "Man, this car is nice."

"Why am I not surprised you love this car?" Beca asked humorously. "It seems like just your type."

Chloe briefly glanced sideways at Beca. "So, you've got me all figured out, huh?" She winked as Beca turned to her.

"Well, I wouldn't say _all_ figured out," the brunette said slowly with a smile. "I feel like I still have plenty to learn about you, Beale."

"Same for you. Oh!" Chloe suddenly squealed. "We should play twenty questions!"

Beca groaned. "Oh god, you're one of those people who love playing games during long road trips. How am I going to survive this….just kidding!" she added hastily at Chloe's raised eyebrow. "Look, I'll even start. Alright, are you a fan of long car rides?"

Chloe shook her head with a smile. "Depends who I am with. Usually I am just zoned out with music. But there are times when it's fun – like part of our trip to the semi finals, before the whole running out of gas thing, that was fun. But I do really want to do a proper road trip, like in the summer, drive to a few states with some friends, just having fun."

"Sounds like that could be fun," Beca agreed. "Okay, your turn."

"Um…" Chloe pondered for a moment. "What is the best gift you've ever gotten?"

"You mean, aside from my amazing journal that you got me?" Beca asked with a smile. Chloe grinned. "I suppose then, my headphones. Although the circumstances were pretty shitty, since it was kind of a present my parents got me to help them break the news of their divorce. But seriously, I've had these things for, what, six years now? And they're still the best."

Chloe grinned. "Maybe I'll have to borrow them sometime."

"Normally, I'd snap someone's wrist if they touched my headphones," Beca admitted. "But you always seem to get your own way anyhow, so I guess I might be able to let you use them from time to time." She chucked as she saw the beam light up Chloe's face. "Okay dork, your turn."

They continued on with the questions for a solid hour, progressively getting deeper with the questions and answers. Beca found she was actually having a lot of fun hanging out with Chloe and getting to know her better.

"Next question…here's an interesting one," Chloe said thoughtfully, a faint smirk on her face. "It's a two fold, okay? Have you ever kissed a girl before, and would you want to?"

Beca felt a light blush creep onto her face. Of all the questions Chloe could ask, she was asking _this_ one. She cleared her throat. "Uh, no, I haven't kissed a girl before, but, um, yes, I might want to."

Chloe stole a glance at Beca. She would consider kissing a girl? Chloe wondered if she had any particular girl in mind. Of course, it'd be too much to hope for it to be her. Before she could ask, Beca quickly turned the tables on her.

"What about you? Same question," she asked curiously.

Chloe drew in a breath. "Well, yes I've kissed a girl before. There was a frat party last year, and I might have been a little drunk. I might have made out with a girl there, but I haven't seen her since."

Beca nodded slowly. "And would you want to kiss a girl again?"

Chloe considered this, trying to work out how to phrase her thoughts correctly. "If it were the right girl, then yes, I want to." She took her eyes off the road for a moment to give Beca a fleeting look. Beca could see a myriad of emotions flickering in those blue eyes, but wasn't sure how to interpret what she was saying.

At that moment, Titanium came on the radio.

"Beca, it's our song!" Chloe squealed happily. The slight emotion in the air vanished, and Beca reached forward to turn up the music. Together, they started rocking out to the song.

* * *

The rest of the road trip passed fairly smoothly, and the women arrived back at Barden somewhat tired, but happy despite the events of the previous evening.

Life resumed as normal, but with one major change – no more Bella's rehearsals. It wasn't until the rehearsals were over, that Beca actually realized how much of her time had been spent in that auditorium with the other Bella's. She was now able to spend more time focusing on her mixes – something that became particularly important, considering Luke was now giving her a few more late night shifts.

However, there was always time made to spend with Chloe. The two made time to hang out, like Chloe would bring coffee and muffins over after her morning run on the days where they both didn't have morning classes, or Beca would text Chloe during slow shifts at the radio station. As the weather warmed up, they spent time between classes hanging out in the quad; usually listening to music while Beca taught Chloe how to identify matching beats and how to lay songs over each other.

It was on one of these warm afternoons, when Beca realized that Spring Break was only half a week away. It had easily slipped her mind, considering she wasn't doing anything for it. She wondered if Chloe had already made plans. Maybe she hadn't, and they could hang out again, like they did over Christmas.

"Something on your mind, Mitchell?" Chloe teased. Beca snapped out of her daydreams, and turned her face towards the redhead.

"Nothing in particular. Just trying to decide how to spend the upcoming week with no classes and no radio shifts," she replied. "Do you have plans?"

A flash of nervousness appeared on Chloe's face for a nano-second – Beca wasn't sure if she had even interpreted the look correctly. "Uh, yeah, I think I'm heading home to see my parents," Chloe replied. "Oh, by the way, I uploaded your recent mixes to my laptop. Think you might have any others I could get?" She dug her hand into her handbag to find the flash drive.

"Uh, sure," Beca replied. Was it just her, or did Chloe not want to talk about Spring Break? That was fine though, she respected Chloe and wasn't going to push the issue. "Any requests for your next mix?" she asked with a smile.

Chloe withdrew her hand from her bag, empty. "Shoot, I must have left it on my desk. I'll try get it back to you before I go, don't worry," she said with a smile. "Um, how about you surprise me? That's what you do best, right?" She winked, and then emitted a loud chuckle as Beca started to blush. "God you're easy!"

Beca shook her head, her blush turning to a smirk. _Only for you, Chloe,_ she thought to herself.

* * *

**TBC…**


End file.
